Reviews

Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell

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hurrikanekathrina's review against another edition

4.0

6.5 out of 10

Genre: Dystopian
Series: Standalone

“For, after all, how do we know that two and two make four? Or that the force of gravity works? Or that the past is unchangeable? If both the past and the external world exist only in the mind, and if the mind itself is controllable – what then?”

1984 is a classic dystopian novel by George Orwell, set in a providence (formerly known as Great Britain) of the superstate Oceania, a totalitarian surveillance state ruled by the Inner Party, and ultimately overseen by the mysterious Big Brother .

I find it very hard to rate this book. For the longest time, this classic has been sitting on my tbr-of-shame shelf, reminding me that it needs to be read still. For some reason, I always put it off, until finally I decided to pick it up and give it a try.
I honestly did not expect this book to be as intense as it was. It is a very overwhelming and difficult book, and I could never do the concepts presented in 1984 justice by trying to paraphrase them, but though it could get quite exhausting at times, I highly recommend everyone to read this, if only to think about ideas that Orwell evokes with it.

ecadamiak's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

guillaumevp's review against another edition

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reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

dorris_s_'s review against another edition

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dark reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

remilauren's review against another edition

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3.0

1984 presents us with a grim future, one where there is no variety, where everything is a lie, and where the thought is a crime. Anything one does is out of love for the party, there is no form of kinships such as a family or friendship, all emotions are tied to the party. Any deviation to this is eliminated so cleanly that if they survive, they are utterly transformed and if they don't it's as if they never existed!

The plot may traverse the life of Winston but it is not much about his character but the life he leads. It's as monotonic as the ones we lead, he is not a hero but a common man. But even common people like us might not support the present situation and rile up against the ones that rule. We live in a world where it may be okay to protest but Winston doesn't. What he does despite this, and what happens to him forms the crux of the story.

Unfortunately for him, this party unlike its predecessors has every aspect covered. It doesn't hesitate to tamper with history, doesn't stop from lying, and eliminating the outliers by monitoring every second of life. They do not support any kind of development as that allows for thought and thus the human population is basically a flock of sheep, bleating when the party wants it to.

While reading this book, it would always sap my energy, I could not read it continuously. I was attributing this to the blandness of the characters but I realize now that it was due to the utter hopelessness presented here. What gave me the chills were, certain aspects being repeated in our present world. With the way things are going, I would not be surprised if we end up in similar situations.